Bornavirus infection is observed in both animals, including humans. However, bornavirus epidemiology in humans, especially in children, remains unclear. Here, we evaluated antibodies against bornaviruses in Japanese children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using immunofluorescence analysis, western blotting, and radio ligand assay. The prevalence of antibodies against bornavirus-specific speckles, N, and P proteins were 22%, 48%, and 33%, respectively, in the ASD children. According to our criteria, the prevalence of antibodies against bornaviruses was 7...

Background: The number of international students enrolled in universities in Japan is increasing. To provide better oral care services for international students, we have to understand their oral environment and dental health behaviors. However, few studies have investigated the oral health status of international university students. The object of the present study was to clarify the current oral status of international university students. Methods: The subjects were students who visited the dental department at the University of Tokyo's Health Services Center between April 2012 and March 2013...

The DECS (dsRNA isolation, exhaustive amplification, cloning and sequencing) analysis technique for viral diagnosis detected a tombusvirus in Japanese gentian not displaying severe symptoms. We tentatively named this virus "gentian virus A" (GeVA). GeVA systemically but inefficiently infected Japanese gentian without causing visible symptoms, while it led to severe symptoms in some other plants. The complete genome sequence of GeVA indicated a typical tombusvirus-like structure. Phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of four tombusvirus-encoded proteins did not reveal other known tombusviruses that were closely-related to GeVA, suggesting that it is a novel tombusvirus...

PURPOSE: Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is the most common form of inherited retinal dystrophy caused by different genetic variants. More than 60 causative genes have been identified to date. The establishment of cost-effective molecular diagnostic tests with high sensitivity and specificity can be beneficial for patients and clinicians. Here, we developed a clinical diagnostic test for RP in the Japanese population. STUDY DESIGN: Evaluation of diagnostic technology, Prospective, Clinical and experimental study...

The exercise tolerance of Fontan patients is poorer than that of healthy people. Some previous studies reported that exercise tolerance can be improved in this population by cardiac rehabilitation. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with peak oxygen uptake (VO2) and to subsequently clarify the correlation between participation in sports club activities and variables related to exercise tolerance. Cardiopulmonary exercise tests were performed by 115 Fontan patients aged between 6 and 20 years...

Although evidence suggests that ionizing radiation can induce the bystander effect (radiation-induced bystander effect: RIBE) in cultured cells or mouse models, it is unclear whether the effect occurs in cells of wild animals. We investigated medium-mediated bystander micronucleus (MN) formation and DNA damage in un-irradiated cells from a large Japanese field mouse (Apodemus speciosus). We isolated four clones of A. speciosus embryonic fibroblasts (A603-1, A603-2, A603-3, and A603-4) derived from the same mother, and examined their radiation sensitivity using the colony-forming assay...

Acute erythroid leukemia, also known as acute myeloid leukemia-M6, may be associated with previous chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy. For 10 years, a 69-year-old Japanese female patient with pure erythroid leukemia (or acute myeloid leukemia-M6b) was treated for polymyositis with 50-100 mg/day azathioprine. She complained of dyspnea with low-grade fever and was diagnosed as having pure erythroid leukemia. Chromosomal analysis revealed a complex karyotype abnormality, with the deletion of 5q, -6, -7 and addition of 11q13...

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that is capable of causing encephalitic diseases in children. While humans can succumb to severe disease, the transmission cycle is maintained by viremic birds and pigs in endemic regions. Although JEV is regarded as a significant threat to the United States (U.S.), the susceptibility of domestic swine to JEV infection has not been evaluated. In this study, domestic pigs from North America were intravenously challenged with JEV to characterize the pathological outcomes...

We have performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 473 Japanese HBV (hepatitis B virus)-positive HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) patients and 516 HBV carriers including chronic hepatitis and asymptomatic carrier individuals to identify new host genetic factors associated with HBV-derived HCC in Japanese and other East Asian populations. We identified 65 SNPs with P values < 10-4 located within the HLA class I region and three SNPs were genotyped in three independent population-based replication sets...

BACKGROUND: It is important to examine the risk of Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) after vaccination. METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study between January 2011 and December 2015. Four controls per case were matched for age, gender, address. An independent expert committee validated the diagnoses of cases and controls. Data on vaccinations were obtained from computerized vaccination records. The analyses were conducted with the use of conditional logistic regression...

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most common antimicrobial-resistant organism identified in Japanese health care facilities. This study analyzed the clinical and economic burdens attributable to methicillin resistance in S aureus in Japanese hospitals. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated data from 14,905 inpatients of 57 hospitals combined with data from nosocomial infection surveillance and administrative claim databases...

BACKGROUND: A few reports have described the effectiveness of resection for recurrent cholangiocarcinoma. However, none have described resection of synchronous pulmonary metastasis from distal cholangiocarcinoma. We report the first case, to the best of our knowledge, of a slow-growing synchronous pulmonary metastasis from distal cholangiocarcinoma resected 3.5 years after the initial surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 67-year-old Japanese man with a diagnosis of distal cholangiocarcinoma was referred to our hospital...

BACKGROUND: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare inflammatory disorder characterized by the classical triad of daily spiking fever, arthritis, and typical salmon-colored rash. Resistance to first-line corticosteroids and second-line disease modified anti-rheumatic-drugs defines refractory AOSD, which mostly includes the polycyclic or chronic courses of the disease. Anti-cytokine therapies are recommended in AOSD patients who are refractory to traditional treatments. This is the first report on the efficacy of colchicine in a patient with AOSD which was refractory to immunosuppressive treatments including biologics...

BACKGROUND: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) has demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for detection of coronary artery stenosis, and healthcare providers can detect coronary artery disease in earlier stages before it develops into more serious clinical conditions such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We hypothesized that the mortality ratio of AMI in regions with a higher density of coronary CTA is lower than that in regions with a lower density of coronary CTA. METHODS: This ecological and cross-sectional study using secondary data targeted all secondary medical service areas (SMSAs) in Japan (n = 349)...

BACKGROUND: Over 24 million international visitors came to Japan in 2016 and the number is expected to increase. Visitors could be at a risk of illness or injury that may result in hospitalization in Japan. We assessed the effects of a four-minute digital animation titled Mari Info Japan on the level of anxiety experienced by international visitors to Japan. METHODS: We conducted a non-randomized, controlled study at Narita International Airport outside Tokyo in December 2014...

BACKGROUND: s: Several studies have compared the clinical efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) for L5S1 lumbar disc herniation (LDH) via transforaminal approach and interlaminar approach, however, with contradictory results. The aim of this study was to explore the comparison of efficacy and safety between percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy (PETD) and percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) for L5S1 LDH. METHODS: Six common databases were comprehensively searched and relevant studies would be included into the analysis if it meet all the inclusion criteria...

BACKGROUND: Although many previous studies have examined the determinants of happiness in older adults, few have investigated the association between pension types and happiness. When compared to other conventional socioeconomic indicators, pension types may be more indicative of long-term socioeconomic status as they can reflect a person's job history over their life course. This study examined the association between pension types and happiness in Japanese older people. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study were used to analyze the association between pension types and happiness...

BACKGROUND: A recent meta-analysis and systematic review suggested that single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) had a higher procedure failure rate with more blood loss and that it required a longer surgical time than conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Herein, we introduce our experience with the needlescopic grasper-assisted and bendable retractor-assisted SILC technique and evaluate its safety and sustainability. METHODS: The present retrospective cohort study included 407 Japanese patients who underwent needlescopic grasper-assisted and bendable retractor-assisted SILC between January 2012 and April 2017 at our institution...